Hearts of War
by gymjunky71
Summary: The Ministry has fallen. Attendance at Hogwarts is mandatory while Lord Voldemort has control. Ginny and Neville revive Dumbledore's Army to spite the new regime and rescue those who fall victim to it. While working closely with Luna, Ginny's feelings about her become clearer. Will she take a page out of Bill & Fleur's love story? It might be now or never. Established bi!Ginny.


_**I've wanted to write this love story for a long while. What might have happened between the two friends, Luna & Ginny, while the Golden Trio were off hunting Horcruxes. Established bi!Ginny & Ginny POV. This is her sixth year at Hogwarts. Harry has gone off with Hermione and Ron to destroy Voldemort. Ginny is the only one of her family at Hogwarts now. She has to contribute to the fight in her own way. **_

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><p><span><strong>Chapter One<strong>

**Everything Changes**

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><p>She had long red hair, a lot of freckles, and brown eyes with lots of long lashes. The debris of the wedding were blasted all around her. Ginny hiked up the low neckline of her dress to her chin, starring around at it all without really seeing it. Harry, Ron, and Hermione had not returned. Her father had sent them a message via his Patronus that the family and guests were shaken but unharmed. Ginny knew they could not return lest they would put them all in danger again.<p>

Fleur came up to her and held Ginny's hand, "This is so terrible."

Ginny understood the quarter-veela. There weren't bad enough words to fit the circumstance. Three days after the wedding, her parents went to Diagon Alley alone to buy her Sixth Year school supplies. Ginny tried to accompany them but when they returned, looking so depressed, she was glad she had not gone. With her imminent departure, the Weasleys did not go their separate ways till after September first.

On that last night, Ginny slept restlessly in Fred and George's old bedroom. All her brothers were with her, aside from traitor Percy of course. Her parents were snoozing in a loveseat set against the door. Her last day at the Burrow had been eerily similar to that of a criminal on death row. They did everything she wanted.

She played a game of Quidditch with her brothers. They had supper outside into the late hours. When it finally came time for sleep, no one seemed too inclined to sleep in their own bedrooms. Hence them all cramming into this Fred and George's. Fleur and Bill were to leave after Ginny departed.

Charlie would have to return to Romania and Bill to Gringott's. Her father was required to attend to his job at the Ministry. Her twin brothers, Fred and George, along with their longtime friend, Lee Jordan, were starting a radio station that rebelled against the Death Eater regime. Her mum would be left alone all day. She had never really thought about it before.

But this has been the case for five years since she began her Hogwarts education. Now she felt deeply unsettled by the thought of her mum being alone. Ginny was spurned to contribute in her own way but was at a loss as to how. With Ron gone with Harry, Ginny was the only one of her family going to Hogwarts. Attendance was mandatory unless one was on their death bed, like the Death Eaters were tricked into believing Ron was.

She eventually slept between her twin brothers, crammed tightly on their bed. She awoke the next morning to her mum and dad holding her and stroking her hair. She remembered her mum making her swear not to cause trouble.

Fred handed her a tiny metal muggle contraption, "The Death Eaters won't know what it is. They hate the Muggle World so much they refuse to learn about it."

Ginny packed it along with her D.A. Galleon. The twins tried to smuggle her more useful Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes items but their mum went mad when she inspected Ginny's trunk.

"Are you trying to get your sister murdered?!" she had shrieked.

While Ginny was trying to soak up every last second with her family, the trip to Kings Cross Station went by in a blur. That was what happened when one wanted time to pass slowly. Before the red steam engine, she didn't want her parents to let go of her. Her brothers encased them like a red mob, Fleur being the single outlier. She was overwhelmed by feelings of abandonment and fear.

Ginny held to her parents like a suction cup of the Giant Squid that lurked the Black Lake.

"I love you," she told them, her voice brittle. "I'll write to you all the time."

This was a promise she couldn't make but she would try to keep anyway. Surely their mail would be inspected before delivery lest destroyed altogether. She kissed her parents and they kissed her. With a kiss from her four brothers present and a double from Fleur, they separated before the Ministry officials would have to pry them off of Ginny. Ginny kept her smile on her face till her family exited the platform, Fred and George winking at her in sync.

She gave a shuddering exhale as she might have been holding it the whole time. When she was not at crowded home, she was a very popular witch at Hogwarts. Therefore, she did not deal with being alone very well. Ginny turned and, upon spotting a friend, her mouth gaped in horror. Beautiful with her waist-length straggling blond hair and protuberant grey eyes, Luna Lovegood was wearing a flashy sweater emblazoned with Harry's lightning bolt shaped scar.

Ginny rushed through the crowd over to her. Luna had grown taller over the summer, an inch or two higher than Ginny now.

"What are you thinking?!" Ginny gasped, gripping Luna's elbow. "They'll bind you to the train tracks!"

"It's only a jacket, Ginny." Luna replied.

But Ginny could see in Luna's enormous eyes that she knew exactly why Ginny reacted the way she had. After the wedding, Ginny didn't feel like her usual rebellious self. She just wanted to survive.

"Take it off," she told her sternly, holding Luna in such a way so that Ginny's body hid the design. "Take it off now, fold it in your trunk. Quick, before they see."

"No." said Luna firmly, all whimsical charm gone.

Ginny narrowed her eyes, "... Fine. But I'm not leaving your side. Take my hand." Before they got too close to the Carrows, she asked Luna. "Did you bring it?"

She couldn't be more specific than that. But, Luna was a Ravenclaw. She was bound to have been concocting a plan for rebellion. Luna nodded in a significant way, something dead-serious behind her eyes. Luna had changed over the summer - or maybe it was the fall of the Ministry on August 1st. And she was not the only one. They found a compartment to themselves when a very welcome intruder came to them.

"Snape has been made Headmaster," Luna told Ginny after they sat down.

She could barely exclaim in disgust before Neville Longbottom, a round-faced blond boy with somewhat bucked teeth, slipped inside.

"The Death Eaters, the Carrows, are employed now too." he added. "I could hear you outside the door, Luna. Hello, by the way. Have a pleasant summer?"

"My brother, Bill, got married to Fleur Delacour. The Death Eaters crashed the party." Ginny recounted to Neville in a decidedly deadpan manner.

"Sounds delightful," Neville replied, equally deadpan.

Luna sat up straight, "I made this."

She pushed something on her neckline and the lightning bolt flashed and made thunder noises. Neville beamed in the flashes blinding his eyes.

"Brilliant!" he smiled.

Ginny had known Neville for years. They had gone to the Yule Ball together in 1994 but their friendship really blossomed through the D.A. Speaking of which ...

"We're going to restart Dumbledore's Army." Neville announced. "Harry's not on the train. So we're alone in this."

Ginny knew where to start, "Before we set up shop in you-know-where, I need to get something out of it first."

"What is it?" Luna asked curiously.

Ginny wrinkled her nose, "Snape's old potion book. I know exactly where Harry left it. It has spells in it that the Death Eaters might not know."

"Wait - Snape_ invented_ the spells?" Neville clarified. "He's one of them for sure now. Harry's been right all along. Snape's bound to have shared the load."

"Maybe. But if he hasn't, it's worth the risk. I think." Luna agreed with Ginny.

Their spirits reignited something within Ginny. There might be fire in her doe eyes. It was tangible to Luna and Neville by the way they smiled at her. If the dreadful ride to King's Cross had flown by, they might has well have ridden a rocket to the castle grounds. Ginny and Luna changed in the compartment. Luna was wearing bright, rainbow colored bra and matching underwear. Ginny had her Gryffindor red undergarments.

Out of respect of boundaries, she did not stare at Luna even if she wanted to. She had been so broken hearted when Harry ended their relationship and she still worried for him along with her brother and Hermione. Under the current circumstances, she shouldn't think about romance and she needed someone to explain that to her body. She couldn't stop her face from turning red and she used her hair to hide it. She pulled on her grey stockings, black pleated skirt, white button up, and her Gryffindor tie.

She fastened her black cloak around her neck and fussed unnecessarily with her hood, trying to distract herself from feeling so excited about having been nearly-naked with her crush. It was wrong. She had to show Luna respect. Luna must know Ginny's bixuality by now. She had never told Luna directly but there was plenty of gossip.

"Ready to face the music?" Luna asked, laying a hand on Ginny's shoulder.

Ginny rubbed her face to make an excuse for why it was stubbornly red. It had been a couple months since she has been intimate with someone outside of herself. She had a crush on Luna for a long time. But she also had a crush on Harry. She was never good with crushes when she was little.

After some helpful advice from Hermione, she eventually caught Harry's attention. Hermione had not given her advice about how to attract girls but Ginny supposed the same principle applied: be herself. Then again, she could not possibly have room for romance in her life now. They needed to survive this year.

She still had not turned around to Luna. So, Luna leaned closer and Ginny could feel her breasts on her back. She wriggled away, not knowing if Luna understood what that kind of touching meant to Ginny.

"Where's Ron?" Luna asked quietly, possibly wondering if that was why Ginny was hiding her face.

Ginny used a tone that would let Luna know she was lying, "He's sick with Spattergroit. He was too ill to come to school. He might die."

With this chilling reminder that her brother was out there fighting the war, her face cleared of color. She turned to Luna and they hugged. It was impossible to hug a girl without their chests touching. So, Ginny did not ever think too much about this type of touching. Never thought they meant anything romantically intimate.

That was a challenging part of being bisexual, figuring out what was sexual to her and what was not. Luna gave her a wink as if to convey that she understood what Ginny said about Ron was a lie. They left the compartment and bumped into Neville outside. The three of them held hands so as not to lose eachother in the flood of students filing out of the train. Ginny met the silver eyes of Draco Malfoy and she gave him a glare that might burn a hole in his corneas.

Whatever Harry told her about Draco lowering his wand on the tower, he had a hand in Dumbledore's assassination. But, he did not hold her gaze for long. He was being buffeted by the other Slytherins. He was not a royal of the House anymore. But, he snarled and barked insults at them like usual.

Crabbe and Goyle were not doing their best as usual to keep him safe. Ginny was amused by the half-assed effort. Being 5'2", she stood on her toes to see the castle over all their heads.

"It's odd." Ginny mused to the two of them. "From here it looks like nothing's changed. Yet everything has."

Luna squeezed her hand, "Not everything."

Ginny followed where Luna was pointing and saw Hagrid gathering the First Years to the boats. Being half-giant, Ginny might have assumed that Hagrid would have been fired or otherwise murdered. So she was very pleased to see him alive. The three of them ran over to him. He beamed when he saw them but he did not ask about Harry, Hermione, or Ron. He was one of Dumbledore's most trusted friends and was smarter than most gave him credit for.

And he loved them all tremendously. There was not going to be any helpful slipups from him this year. Ginny looked at all the little faces gazing up at her, pointing at her hair and calling her 'pretty'. They were so innocent, unable to comprehend the magnitude of the war. They were ignorant to all the muggleborn witches and wizards who would have attended this year with them had they been able to pass off as purebloods.

Seeing all these little faces just spurned Ginny on harder to halt the Death Eater efforts to take control over Hogwarts.

"Let's give 'em hell." Ginny said to Luna and Neville.

They crammed into a carriage. Neville was sitting closest to the door and something he saw made him lunge at the doorhandle. When Ginny saw Draco's face through the window, she moved to grip the handle with Neville.

Luna smiled, "Move aside, guys." She took her wand from her ear and aimed it at the door, "_Colloportus_!"

If watching Draco being trampled by the human stampede was funny, him yanking on the door handle was hilarious. His desire to share a carriage with the three of them was a mystery no one cared to answer. He gave up eventually, red in his pale face, and left to find another carriage. The three of them made impressions of his expression all the way up to the castle. But, there was a delay at the front steps.

Filch was there, armed with a Secrecy Sensor. Each student was being inspected before entering the castle. Ginny felt incredibly violated as he poked the sensor especially hard on her, Luna, and Neville. They were known 'blood traitors' and therefore treated with the least humanity, barely a step above muggleborns in the new regime. A Death Eater Ginny recognized from the Wanted posters yanked off Ginny's hood and Ginny reflexively twisted around to growl at her viciously.

"Animal, blood traitor! Too bad your genes holds so much value," spat Ms. Carrow. "Or I'd lynch you on the steps as an example myself."

Luna grabbed Ginny's hand while Ginny laughed in Ms. Carrow's face, "Excuses, excuses! You don't have the _gall _to face me. You know it ... I know it." She scoffed, "Come find me when you recover some. You know where I lay my head."

Neville, Luna, and all the Hogwarts students stared at her suicidal boldness. Even Filch was stunned into silence. Her promise to her mum to keep out of trouble was shortly killed in that moment.

"_Ginny_!" hissed Luna, dragging Ginny into the Great Hall.

The walls were decorated with black tapestries with the emerald Death Eater emblem of the skull and snake. Luna gasped and held to Ginny's entire arm. It was only here that Ginny remembered that they were in separate Houses. So, they were forced to separate. Ginny's arm felt very cold without Luna's body heat there.

Not caring if anyone thought she was with Neville now, she held his hand till they found a spot at the Gryffindor table. What with the way they were staring at her, Ginny knew they weren't gossipy stares. They were stares of admiration. She had even impressed a few Slytherins and that was saying something. One Slytherin Seventh Year looked away hastily at her glance. Neville sat down, dragging Ginny down hard with him.

"I know what I said on the train but that was suicide." Neville breathed in her ear.

Ginny whispered back, "It felt great. You should try it sometime."

Her ride of adrenalin was abating the longer they sat on the bench. It took much longer than usual for the Great Hall to fill even though there were less than half the amount of students there. She tried to keep her face impassive but part of her was regretting going toe to toe with the Death Eater so aggressively, inviting a duel. She needed to eat. She might faint.

Anyone who did not witness it was informed by now. Ginny could feel eyes all on her. She apologized to her parents and her brothers inside her head. She gazed over her shoulder and saw Luna was sitting directly behind her, refusing to move for a group of friends wanting to sit together. Ginny rose from her seat but it was Neville who got to his feet first.

"There's plenty of room for your group down that way. Move." He directed them to the front where evidently no one wanted to sit; the group were Fourth Years and Neville tried to make himself as imposing as possible, "_Move_. Now."

Ginny could not have been this harsh to younger students but was not totally angry with Neville for doing so.

He sat back down and said to Ginny, "We have to stick together."

Ginny nodded and tried to catch Luna's eye. But, Luna was not turning around. She was staying uncharacteristically still. Ginny jolted when the enormous wooden doors to the Great Hall were closed. She felt like a fish in a barrel and, paranoid, worried that Ms. Carrow as going to swoop down on her with _Avada Kedavra_. Then the teachers started filing in at the staff table.

Professors McGonagall, Flitwick, Sprout, Slughorn, Sinistra, Babbling, Binns, Hooch, Vector, and Grubbly-Plank. Hagrid was not at the staff table even though the First Years were there. They must have been Sorted while the older students were being checked at the steps. Everything has changed.

The candle light dimmed and Mr. Carrow's voice rung out magically, "All rise for your new Headmaster, Severus Snape."

Ginny gazed at Neville who gave a reluctant bow of his head. They needed to save outward rebellion for later. But they didn't need to look too happy about it. That would be even more suspicious. Together they rose but kept their faces still.

Luna remained sitting till the last possible second and Ginny breathed a sigh of relief when she finally stood. Ginny glared at Snape. Black greasy hair with a hooked nose, he was as ugly as ever. But there was something different. He was much thinner than she remembered.

One would suppose after living a double life for nearly seventeen years, he'd have relief now. It appeared the exact opposite. Snape sat down in the headmasters chair and Ginny looked away, not liking the sight one bit. In the dimmed candlelight, the tapestries all but disappeared and the Dark Mark glittered more starkly than before. Ginny hated what has been done to her school.

Her home away from home. She resisted imagining seeing the Dark Mark over the Burrow or over Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. She gazed up when Snape spoke.

"Professor McGonagall shall remain as your Transfiguration teacher ..." He listed off the professors they already knew, Hagrid notably absent. "As you may have noticed, there are some changes being made at this historic school. To start with, we have two new very talented teachers whom graciously agreed to gift us with their knowledge."

Ginny saw the other teachers subtly display their dissent at this remark.

"Amycus Carrow, your new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. Also, deputy headmistress. This class is mandatory for all students. "

The Death Eater whom Ginny had fought with on the steps was replacing professor McGonagall. Ginny thought having Snape as headmaster was bad enough. There was reluctant applause, only louder because professor McGonagall encouraged it with a slight bow of her head that looked more like a spasm. She would protect her students from the Death Eaters, of course. Somehow, professor McGonagall met Ginny's eyes in the crowd.

It was so fleeting, but she gave Ginny a smile. Ginny was left wondering if the professor had heard the gossip. She looked over at Ms. Carrow and was silently threatened.

"Alecto Carrow, your new Muggles Studies professor. Also, deputy headmaster. This class has also been made mandatory. " Snape paused, staring out at all of them. "Harry Potter is wanted as a suspect in the murder of Albus Dumbledore. Hermione Granger is also wanted as she, amongst many other cowards, failed to register with the Muggle-Born Registration Commission. Anyone with information as to either of their whereabouts is to report directly to me. You shall be rewarded for your bravery. _However_," he sneered at his audience, "anyone found _supporting _Harry Potter and the rebellion will be punished most severely." Snape held up Luna's sweater with Harry's scar on it.

They had stolen it from Luna's luggage; Ginny and Neville's mouths dropped open. He ignited it with the tip of his wand and dropped it on the stage. Ginny glared from it to him but her expression softened when she craned around to look at Luna. No one ate with much enthusiasm that night after the food appeared magically on the hundreds of plates along the tables. Neville barely touched his plate of mashed potato and sausages.

Ginny tried to eat as much as she could but her throat was like sandpaper. She had steak and kidney pie with chips. The start of term feast was much like it had been for as long as Ginny could remember. There was a lot less chatter in the Great Hall, which lent a heavy pit in Ginny's stomach. She hated silence and near-silence was torture.

She loved to joke and have fun. The only possibility of that happening is if they can get the D.A. up and running again. A lot of Gryffindors were still staring at her sitting with Neville. Many of whom were the boys and girls she had dated before Harry Potter. She wondered where Harry, Hermione, and Ron were now.

She urged them in her mind to destroy Voldemort as quickly as possible. For desert, Ginny managed Yorkshire pudding and a strawberry. She couldn't talk to Neville about their plans for the D.A. in public. They'd have to wait for privacy. Finally, the food magically vanished and they were ordered to go to their House dormitories. Ravenclaws' was in the west tower and Gryffindors' was on the seventh floor. Hidden in the crowd, Ginny sprang up from her bench and wrapped her arms around Luna's neck.

"You _have _to be more careful, Luna!" She whispered, her voice wobbly. "Please, for me."

Luna's hair smelled like cucumbers. Ginny wasn't asking for Luna to change. She'd never want that. But, Luna was already a target for bullying. With Snape now in charge and the Carrows teaching two of their classes, Luna was more of an outcast than ever.

Luna patted and rubbed her back, "I'm sorry, Ginny."

Ginny held her hand till they would have to separate. She watched her friend go till she couldn't see her anymore. She walked with Neville up to Gryffindor common room, barely talking with her other friends. She saw Ron's ex-girlfriend, Lavender Brown, and her own ex-boyfriend, Dean Thomas. Little Colin Creevey and his brother. Parvarti Patil.

An ex-girlfriend of Ginny's, Romilda Vane. Ginny had shortly ended their romance after it was clear how shallow the witch was. She hoped Luna had reached Ravenclaw tower without harassment. She was renowned for her flashy fashion taste. Everyone must have guessed that was her sweater that Snape had burned onstage in front of them all.

Ginny shed her uniform for her pajamas and laid awake, thinking of her family and Harry and Luna. Feeling torn in so many directions. Hardly sparing a thought more for the D.A. tonight. Thinking of her mum, she cried as silently as she could. The other girls in her dorm were crying, too.

Ginny was never much for crying. She had been toughened up by her brothers. But, there was nothing weak about crying. She believed that and let her emotions run free.


End file.
